Mark Bivens
Rude VC: Outsmarting the system vs. Cheating
Two distinct incidents in the sporting world stood out last month that caught my attention in their contrast on a similar theme. Undoubtedly the most prominent was the United States Anti Doping Agency’s (USADA) stripping of Lance Armstrong’s seven Tour de France championship titles. Quick recap: USADA alleged that Lance had used banned substances during […]
Retail VCs: pivot or perish ?
It’s been a hot, lazy summer in most of France (far superior to last year, weather-wise, thank goodness). But in at least one sector of France people struggled to completely relax: the private equity / venture capital firms whose principal sources of funds are tax-incentivized “retail” investors. Such retail fund vehicles are a fairly uniquely […]
Rude VC: Email habits, or lack there of
What a fanstastic two weeks. For the first time ever, Rude VC decided to go completely off the grid for two whole weeks this August. Nothing but fresh air, perfect weather, and intense triathlon training in the pursuit of physical exhaustion and mental rejuvenation. Awaiting me among other things upon my return to the office […]
Rude VC: Summertime reading for Entrepreneurs on Holidays
Today, the last day of July, represents a crossroads of vacation periods. Northern Europeans are largely finished with their summer holidays, while the Dutch and Belgians are just winding theirs down. Italy is preparing to shut down for the next month. And here in France, we’re still ramping up too. In the vacation spirit, here’s […]
Rude VC: Google's insidious plot with Yahoo!
Anyone reading the tech press last week couldn’t avoid the gushing over Marissa Mayer’s appointment to become CEO of Yahoo!. Google’s first female engineer and the brains behind the elegantly simple white search home page, the 37-year old Mayer will face a tremendous new challenge in taking the helm of the ailing internet company. Whether she will […]
Rude VC: Selling Early, and other opinions on the Digg acquisition
Remember Digg ? Less than six months after radical innovator NetVibes caved in to Dassault Systèmes for 20m€ and almost five years to the exact day after navigation firm Webraska lost its way into the arms of Sanef, the social news sharing site Digg was sold to Betaworks for a reported $500k. This sum represents just a fraction of […]
Rude VC on Triathletes and Entrepreneurs
Even though I suck at them, I’m a big fan of racing triathlons. This past weekend was chock-full of exciting events. Right here in Paris the French Triathlon Federation held an olympic distance with the swim portion in the oh-so-propre Seine. Other notable races over the weekend included the Long course Challenge in Roth, Germany […]
Rude VC on the Board of Directors: Control vs Support
Admittedly, I still have a lot to learn about how to be a good boardmember. It’s still early days into my second career after selling my company and becoming a VC. I haven’t even witnessed a full decade-spanning macroeconomic cycle, which is a prerequisite for a venture capitalist to become an experienced practitioner. I am, […]
Owning the dot-com: even my grandma understood
I remember back in 1996 when my grandmother (since passed, bless her soul) caught me off guard, as she had a knack for doing, with a highly-esoteric tech question. She had invited me for lunch at the Hobees in Cupertino, an annual ritual in which we caught up on each others’ lives. Toward the end […]
Rude VC: Before I hire you, tell me about your problems
I’ve noticed a typical recruiting occurence in the States sadly creeping into hiring processes in Europe, even among startups. I’m referring to the dreaded question during a job interview of: “What are your weaknesses?” “Tell me about your weaknesses” is an interview question with which I’ve always struggled. Without a doubt, it is far less […]